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THE 

^yORKER'S SECRET 
OF UNCTION 



BY 



J: M. HUMPHREY 



He that winneth souls is wise, — Prov. 11:30. 



THE CHRISTIAN WITNESS CO. 
CHICAGO 






CopraiGHV 1920 

BY 

J. M. HUMPHREY 



SEP 19 1921 
g)CI.A624478 



a 



a 



This little volume 

is affectionately dedicated to the 

sacred memory of 

SbtrebiUe anb STerrp 

who, though in heaven, still have 
a place in memory's golden chain. 



INTRODUCTION 

There is not a class of men upon earth that Satan 
labors more incessantly to ensnare and overthrow 
than he does the faithful evangelist. This, however, 
may be due to the fact, that under God, they are 
more destructive to his kingdom than any other 
class of religious workers. 

In view of the fact that he is making a special 
effort to overthrow and blight the influence of these 
godly men, we feel divinely impressed to give them 
in brief a few simple lessons on how to steer clear 
of his numberless snares, and thus retain their God- 
given unction and power, all the way to eternity. 

These lessons, however, are by no means some- 
thing that we have extracted from books, but have 
learned them over and over, in the tedious school 
of experience, for nearly twenty-five years. 

We send them forth under God, praying that 
He may bless and use them in keeping thousands of 
religious workers clean, clear and free, and ablaze 
with holy fire. 

Yours in His easy yoke, 

J. M. Humphrey. 

Feb. 26, 1919. 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

Introduction v 

L The Evangelist , 1 

II. Leaving the Work 4 

III. Closing Meetings to Go Home 6 

IV. The Prayer Life 8 

V. Social Visiting 11 

VL Hotel Deportment 13 

VII. Practice What You Preach 15 

VIII. Demanding a Stipulated Salary 18 

IX. Blowing Your Own Horn. .... 21 

X. Unequally Yoked : 24 

XL Funny Story Telling 26 

XII. Undue Familiarity 28 

XIII. How to Begin a Revival 31 

■ XIV. How to Give an Altar Call 34 

XV. How to Instruct Seekers 36 

XVI. How to Pass the Difficult Point. ... 41 

XVII. The Help of the Holy Spirit 43 

XVIII. How to Treat God's Promises 46 

XIX. How to Retain Humility 48 

XX. How to Fast 50 



Contents 



CHAPTER PAGE 

XXI. Clashing with a Fellow-worker. ... 53 

XXII. Jonah in Troubled Waters 56 

XXIII. The School of Faith 58 

XXIV. The Popiilar and Unpopular Period 62 
XXV. The Healing Service 65 

XXVI. Holiness in Action 68 

XXVII. The Individual Heart-Talk Meeting 72 

XXIVIII. ^^Harmless as Doves'' 76 

XXIX. How to Renew Your Strength 80 

XXX. Beware of Slander 82 

XXXI. How to Get New Sermons 87 



The Worker's Secret 
of Unction 



CHAPTER I 

The Evangelist 

''And he gave some, apostles; and some, proph- 
ets; and some, evangelists.'' (Eph. 5:11.) 

The Bible reveals the fact that there are grada- 
tions in the ranks of heaven's magnificent hier- 
archy, viz. : angels, archangels, cherubim and sera- 
phim. In reading the sixth chapter of Isaiah, it 
appears that the seraphim are the highest order in 
the ranks of heaven. The word seraphim literally 
means ''burning ones,'' that is, — all afire with 
God's glory. According to the statement found in 
Hebrews 1 : 7 — "Who maketh his angels spirits, and 
his ministers a flame of fire.'' The gospel minister 
holds this exalted position on earth, and in our 
judgment, if there is any class of ministers that are 
chief in this respect it is the evangelist. For where 
other ministers and gospel workers may be allowed 

1 



The Worker's Secret of Unction 



to run on a low tension, and keep at a moderate 
temperature, the evangelist is expected by every 
one to be all aflame with holy fire. No matter how 
low the spiritual temperature of a church or peo- 
ple may be, a marked change is expected to take 
place when the evangelist comes on the scene, and 
if for any reason it fails to do so, the evangelist 
has to bear all of the blame. 

For these, and similar reasons, there is no class 
of religious workers upon earth who should live 
any closer and have more power with God than 

they. 

The evangelist is expected to awaken sinners, un- 
mask hypocrites and convict backsliders, whom the 
pastor, presiding-elder and bishop have been un- 
able to reach or awaken for years. 

Our chief reason for mentioning these facts, is, 
that the God-called evangelist may more fully real- 
ize the importance of his mission, and also, realize 
what God and man expect of him. 

The evangelist's lire, fervor and zeal are not to 
be spasmodic, like that of other religious workers, 
but a constmt, ever increasing flame, year m and 
year out. He is to be the "fresh man'' wherever 
he goes. He is not to show any sign of coldness, 
deadness or lack of concern for souls; if so, he is 
immediately criticized or discounted. If he fails 
to have the same degree of spiritual liberty and 
unction that he had at a former meeting, he is at 
once branded as being backslidden. No person that 
comes to hear him is ever willing to listen to the 



The Evangelist 



same sermon the second time. He is expected to 
have something new every time. 

Thus, in order to meet these demands, he, like 
the seraphim, must continually live in the presence 
of God, keeping aflame with holy fire, and having 
but little concern for the things of time and sense. 

''* * * Elect by God himself , 
Anointed by the Holy Ghost, and set 
Apart to the great work of saving men ; 
Instructed fully in th.e will divine. 
Supplied with grace in store, as need might ask, 
And with the stamp and signature of heaven, 
Truth, mercy, patience, holiness and love. 
Accredited : he was a man by God, 
The Lord, commissioned to make known to men 
The eternal counsels; and his Master's name. 
To treat with them of everlasting things, 
Of life, death, bliss, woe; to offer terms 
Of pardon, grace, and peace, to the rebelled. ' ' 



^ CHAPTER II 

Leaving the Work 

^'It is not reason that we should leave the word 
of God, and serve tables * * * But we will 
give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the 
ministry of the world." (Acts 6:2, 4.) 

If the pressure of an artesian well is suppressed 
for any great length of time, its flow wdll never 
be the same, but weaker. The same rule holds 
good in the evangelistic work. If a God-called and 
God-anointed evangelist ceases to do the work of 
an evangelist, and serves as pastor, book agent, so- 
licitor, financial agent, etc., etc., he is sure to lose 
the following three things : His high-class anoint- 
ing, burden for souls and spirit of prayer. It is 
true, he may manage to keep saved, but will not be 
of much service to himself or others. It will be 
with him like a farmer trying to use a railroad 
box-car for a farm wagon, without having a track 
upon which to run it. There is no marvel that 
men who are called to win souls make such un- 
successful business men, insurance agents, can- 
vassers, etc. It is absolutely unsafe for a person 
to invest money in business propositions that are 
operated by this class of men. For they are Jonahs, 

4 



Leaving the Work 



and the boat is sure to go down, unless they are 
thrown overboard. 

When an evangelist returns to the work of win- 
ning souls, after having given it up for years, he, 
like Sampson, will awake to the fact that his 
strength to a great extent has departed. He will 
also awake to the fact, that the extraordinary help 
of the Spirit he once had, in expounding the word, 
getting new sermons, giving altar calls and instruct- 
ing seekers at the altar, will have departed. 

The exhortation given by God to the evangelist 
Redfield many years ago, still holds good in a spir- 
itual sense with those w^ho are called to a similar 
work, — ^^Yovr may live while you preach,^' 

^^If your faith is in God hold on! hold on! 

Tho' the way be thru fire and thru flood, 

The flames will refine, and the gold brighter shine 

And the waves bear thee onward to God. 

The form of the Fourth, in the midst of the flame, 

Shall protection and comfort bring; 

They flourish in fire, on the floods mount the higher, 

Who are trusting in Jesus their King." 



CHAPTER III 

Closing Meetings to Go Home 

^'And Barnabas determined to take with them 
John, whose surname was Mark * * * who de- 
parted from them from Pamphylia, and went not 
with them to the work.'' (Acts 15: 37, 38.) 

Among the many lessons that the evangelist has 
to learn, is, that he is no longer his own boss, but 
must continually live under the full control of the 
Holy Ghost, He dare not go here or there, with- 
out first seeking the mind of the Spirit in the mat- 
ter. We do not know of an easier way of getting 
out of divine order and grieving the Spirit, than 
for an evangelist to close a meeting, where God is 
working and souls getting saved, to go home to 
see his family, attend to secular business or at- 
tend a neighbor's funeral. 

While the writer continues his stay upon earth, 
he will never forget the awful spiritual darkness 
that settled upon him for three days and nights, 
for doing a similar thing. The meeting was at 
high-tide and the altar being filled with seekers 
every night; whea he felt that he should hurry 
home to attend to a less important matter. It seemed 

6 



Closing Meetings to Go Home 7 

that he never did more digging and praying to get 
saved or sanctified, than he did to get out of that 
hole, and get the machinery of his soul to running 
freely. For some little time he did not knov7 what 
caused the trouble. However, he knew that he was 
strangely depre^ed, dry and somewhat out of 
touch. As he waited before the Lord and kept his 
ear open, — listening for God's voice. He spoke the 
following words, in substance, — *^You are no longer 
your own, but my property, and must therefore, 
go and come at my bidding." ^ After getting back 
on the field, quite a few days elapsed before he 
struck the full-current of power and glory, that 
he had before spending those five days at home. 

Hundreds of evangelists have closed their meet- 
ings mtTi(nit God's consent, to spend a few weeks 
at home with their families, and have returned to 
the field much weaker than they were before. 

We do not want to be misunderstood at this 
point. It is perfectly right to go home occasionally, 
to rest up and be with the loved ones there. How- 
ever, it must not be done without first getting a 

furlougW from the Holy Ghost. 

'*Not for ease or worldly pleasure. 
Not for fame my prayer shall be. 
Gladly will 1 toil and suffer. 
Only let me walk with thee.'' 



a 



CHAPTER IV 

The Prayer Life 

''And in the morning, ri^ng up a great while 
before day, he went out, and departed into a soli- 
tary place, and there prayed." (Mark 1: 35.) 

The evangelist who would be a successful soul 
winner must above all thiugs be a man of prayer. 
He must constantly live in the spirit of prayer. 
He can sometimes afford to neglect his studies, but 
can never afford to neglect communing with Grod. 
Mr. Finney expressed what a great loss it was to 
him to be without the spirit of prayer for a single 
day. Every person that was ever used of God in 
winning souls, spent much time in secret prayer. 
''Payson wore the hard-wood boards into grooves 
where his knees pressed so often and so long. ' ' His 
biographer says, ''His continuing instant in prayer, 
be his circumstances what they might, is the most 
noticeable fact in his history, and points out the 
duty of all who would rival his eminence. To his 
ardent and persevering prayers must no doubt be 
ascribed in a great measure his distinguished and 
almost uninterrupted success." 

"William Bramwell is famous in Methodist an- 

8 



The Prayer Life 



nals for personal holiness, and for his wonderful 
success in preaching and for the marvelous answers 
to his prayers. For hours at a time he would pray. 
He almost lived on his knees. He often spent as 
much as four hours in a single season of prayer 
and retirement." 

Sir Henry Havelock always spent the first two 
hours of each day alone with God. 

John Welchg the holy and wonderful Scotch 
preacher, thought the day ill spent if he did not 
spend eight or ten hours in prayer. He kept a 
plaid that he might wrap himself when he arose 
to pray at night. His wife would complain when 
she found him lying on the ground w^eeping. He 
would reply: *'0h, woman, I have the souls of 
three thousand to answer for, and I know not how 
it is with many of them!" 

Mr. Wesley spent two hours daily in prayer. He 
began at four in the morning. Of him, one who 
knew him well wrote : ^ ^ He thought prayer to be 
more his business than anything else, and I have 
seen him come out of his closet with a serenity of 
face next to shining." 

Luther said: '^If I fail to spend two hours in 
prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory 
through the day." 

John Fletcher stained the walls of his room by 
the breath of his prayers. Sometimes he would 
pray all night. His whole life was a life of prayer. 

'^He who has learned this trade well draws at 



10 The Worker ^s Secret of Unction 

will on sight, and with acceptance of heaven's un- 
failing bank.'' 

' ^ Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, 
That calls me from a world of care, 
And bids me at my Father's throne, 
Make all my wants and wishes known ! 
In seasons of distress and grief, 
My soul has often found relief, 
And oft escaped the tempter's snare, . 
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer." 



CHAPTER V 

Social Visiting 

*'Evil eommunications corrupt good manners." 
(I Cor. 15:33.) 

The evangelist who desires to retain the unction 
of the Holy Ghost and be his best for God at all 
times, cannot realize too quickly, the great harm 
that lurks in gossiping and social visiting. Its in- 
nocent appearance makes it the more harmful, 
for it catches the man of God off of his guard. 

The thing in itself is not sinful, but there is 
something about it, when too frequently indulged 
in, that beclouds the soul's vision, and gets the 
spirit out of tune for communing with God. 

In closely observing this for nearly twenty-five 
years, we have found it hurtful in the following 
ways. 1. On accepting an invitation out to dinner, 
preceding the afternoon or evening service, we have 
discovered on our return, that we had to some 
extent lost the spirit of prayer, and that the holy 
oil did not flow into the golden vessel of our soul 
as freely as it did before we made the calls. 2. In 
exchanging so many words, laughing too freely and 
diverting our inward and upward gaze at the Sav- 
iour, we awoke to the fact that a veil had come 
between our soul and His face. "We could see Him, 
however, but not as clearly as before. 3. It is also 
true that too much gossip and association with the 

11 



12 The Worker^s Secret of Unction 

opposite sex has a tendency to furnish the enemy 
with new material with which to tempt the man of 
God. He seems to take special pains after these 
occasions to bring back the old life which was cru- 
cified years ago. 

The beginning of the downfall of many preachers 
can be tracked to the point where he yielded to 
too much gossiping, visiting and associating with 
the opposite sex. 4. A final way in which we have 
found too much gossiping and social visiting to be 
hurtful was as follows. It always seemed more 
difficult to strike fire in delivering the message after 
we had made one of these social visits than it did 
at other times. We also notice some difference 
in our concern and burden for souls. It seemed 
that we had in some way relaxed our hold, and was 
unable to grip things as tightly as before. 

The writer has also been reproved by the Holy 
Spirit for going innocent sight-seeing before the 
series of meetings closed when conducting them 
in strange cities. It seems to put his spirit out of 
tune somehow to go beforehand. 

' ^ A charge to keep I have, 
A God to glorify, 
A never-dying soul to save 
And fit it for the sky. 

Help me to watch and pray 

And on thyself rely, 
Assured if I my trust betray, 

I shall forever die." 



CHAPTER VI 

Hotel Deportment 

* * Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, 
redeeming the time/' (Col. 4:5.) 

Many years of careful observation have taught 
us that a degree of precaution was necessary in 
regard to our conduct in the various homes in which 
we stopped for entertainment. There are several 
things one needs to guard against: therefore for 
the benefit of the reader, we will mention just a few. 
1. We have realized that if we were not careful we 
would become too sociable, and thus make ourselves 
common with the inmates, and thereby lose our in- 
fluence with them for good. In order for them to 
be properly impressed by our sermons at church, 
it is necessary that they should first be impressed 
with our conduct in the home. 2. We also realize 
that in order to get them hungry for the blessing 
which we possess, we have to be careful and not 
let too much light on them at one time, by telling 
them of all the dealings of the Lord with us during 
our twenty-four-year walk with Him. Some work- 
ers are not wise at this point, and as a result hinder 
more souls than they help. 3. The next point at 

13 



14 The Worker's Secret of Unction 

which we saw it necessary to use a great deal of 
discretion was, not to have too much to say about 
our scruples along the line of eating, i. e., as to 
whether we ate pork or drank tea and coffee. If 
anything was placed upon the table that we could 
not eat or drink with a clear conscience, we refused 
it in a quiet way, without expressing ourselves. 4. 
The next point at which we see it is necessary to 
be extremely careful is, not to speak to them of our 
needs, or solicit money among them for any pur- 
pose. For we have long since learned that soul 
winning and soliciting money do not go together, 
but rather hinder the work of God. Numbers of 
preachers and gospel workers have been unwise at 
this point, and thereby brought disrepute upon the 
cause of God. 

' ' So shall my walk be close with God, 
Calm and serene my frame ; 
So pure the light shall mark the road 
That leads me to the Lamb.'' 



CHAPTER VII 

Practice What You Preach 

^*Be thou an example of the believers, in word, 
in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in 
purity.'' (I Tim. 4:12.) 

No matter how gifted or talented an evangelist 
may be, or how well he speaks on various subjects, 
unless he practices what he preaches, no lasting 
good will be accomplished. Therefore, for this rea- 
son he should be out and out for God, and clear-cut 
on all lines. It is true, there are many dogmatic 
points, on which Christians of various denomina- 
tions differ in opinions. However, as far as pos- 
sible, the evangelist should be on the safe side of 
all these points. He should not be engaged in any 
practice, or yoked up with anything that the gen- 
eral public considers wrong ; if so, his ministry will 
be a fruitless one. Paul said, **A11 things are law- 
ful unto me, but all things are not expedient." (I 
Cor. 6:12.) 

No evangelist can be a proper representative of 
Jesus Christ and at the same time carry a lot of 

15 



16 The Worker's Secret of Unction 

pills, powders, plasters and medicine bottles around 
with him. He must believe the whole gospel. 

No evangelist can conscientiously exhort his hear- 
ers to have faith and trust in God, while he at the 
same time has his life heavily insured. 

He has no right to exhort his hearers to lay aside 
the world and all superfluous adornment, while he 
at the same time wears a gold watch and chain, 
gold cuff-buttons or a gold stick-pin. (I Tim. 2:9.) 
He should first lay aside these things himself be- 
fore he exhorts others to obey the word of God. 
(I Pet. 3:3.) 

It will be only a waste of time for him to preach 
against Sabbath desecration, as long as he himself 
rides the railroad trains, takes the Sunday paper, 
bathes, shaves, writes letters, gets pictures taken 
and buys ice cream on the Lord's day. 

His instructions to parents on how to properly 
train their children will be treated with contempt, 
unless his children are well trained, well disciplined 
and obedient. 

He might preach on ^^The beauty of patience' ' 
until he preaches angels under conviction, but if 
he gets upset and agitated over a baby crying in 
his meeting, or any trivial annoyance that may 
occur during the sermon, it will only be time and 
labor ill spent. 

It will be useless for the evangelist to preach 
strong sermons on selfishness and self-denial, if at 
the same time he is guilty of crowding and shoving 
in order to get to the first dinner table, or clamor- 



Practice What You Preach 17 

ing for the choicest room or cottage on the camp 
ground. 

^^ Perhaps for aught of good I am unfit, 
Most worthless and most useless all ; 
Yet make me but the meanest thing that lives 
Within Thy Salem's wall. 
I shall be well content, my God, to be, 
Or do, or suffer aught that pleaseth Thee : 
cast me not away ! ' ' 



CHAPTER VIII 

Demanding a Stipulated Salary 

'* Freely ye have received, freely give." (Matt. 
10:8.) 

There is no class of religious workers in the world 
who should be more saintly and heavenly than the 
evangelist. He is set apart, anointed and sent of 
God, to preach anywiiere and everywhere. The re- 
sponsibility of lost souls is on his heart ; therefore, 
he must preach. If he is shut out of the churches 
he will preach in the streets, and from house to 
house. (Acts 20:20.) The burden of lost men 
rests so heavily upon him at times that he would 
gladly give a twenty dollar bill for the privilege of 
delivering a gospel message in some places. The 
man who is truly called of God to the ministry, 
and thus has the burden of souls upon his heart, 
has the same feeling about the matter that Saint 
Paul had when he exclaimed, '^Woe unto me if I 
preach not the gospel ! " (I Cor. 9 : 16.) 

In view of the facts mentioned above, it has al- 
ways been difficult for the writer to see how many 
of his good brethren could demand a stipulated 
amount for their service. It is true, the evangelist 
has expenses to meet as well as other men; how- 

18 



Demanding a Stipulated Salary 19 

ever, if he responds to the calls that come for his 
service, and leaves the financial side of the matter 
with God and his brethren, we verily believe his 
needs will all be supplied. The Lord Jesus was 
one of the poorest preachers that ever lived, and 
yet, when He was sent for He did not set any price 
on His service, but cheerfully responded. Notice 
how the record reads — ^^And when Jesus was en- 
tered into Capernaum, there came unto Him a cen- 
turion, beseeching Him, and saying. Lord, my serv- 
ant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tor- 
mented, and Jesus saith unto him, ^I will come and 
heal him/ ^^ (Matt. 8 : 5-7.) Nothing is said about 
charges. Should Jesus have been one of the modern 
evangelists, He would have said, ^^I will come for 
so WrUch/^ 

When the servants of Cornelius came requesting 
Peter to come to Caesarea to hold a meeting, he 
did not say, ^^I will go for so much,^' But the Holy 
Ghost bade him go, doubting nothing. (Acts 11: 
12.) Nothing is said about traveling expenses. It 
was God's and the people's business to see to those 
things. Peter's business was to tell the **good 
news" without charges. 

When the apostle Paul saw the Macedonian in 
a vision of the night, saying, ^'Come over into 
Macedonia and help us, ' ' he did not write them the 
terms upon which he would come, saying ^ * So much 
and so much for ten days," but he went immedi- 
ately, believing that the Lord had called hinn there. 
(Acts 16:9, 10.) 



20 The Worker's Secret of Unction 

The day in which any evangelist demands a stip- 
ulated price for his services is the very day he 
begins to lose the unction and backslide from God. 
It is true, he may continue in the work for years 
afterward, with a degree of success. Nevertheless, 
like a clock, he will slowly run down and have 
nothing left but a profession. And any spiritual 
man or woman thereafter who hears him preach 
will detect the word ^'Ichabod'^ ringing in every 
sermon (i. e., the glory is departed). 

* ' Gold many hunted, sweated and bled for gold ; 
Waked all night, and labored all the day. 
And what was this allurement, dost thou ask? 
A dust dug from the bowels of the earth. 
Which, being cast into the fire, came out 
A shining thing that fools admired, and called 
A god ; and in devout and humble plight 
Before it knelt, the greater to the less ; 
And on its altar sacrificed ease, peace. 
Truth, faith, integrity, good conscience, friends. 
Love, charity, benevolence, and all 
The sweet and tender sympathies of life ; 
And, to complete the horrid murderous rite, 
And signalize their folly, offered up 
Their souls and an eternity of bliss, 
To gain them — ^what ? — an hour of dreaming joy, 
A feverish hour that hasted to be done, 
And ended in the bitterness of woe." 



CHAPTER IX 
Blowing Your Own Horn 

''Charity vauntetli not itself, is not puffed up." 
(I Cor. 13:4.) 

Aside from the Holy Spirit, experience is the 
next best teacher. There is no other teacher that 
causes the pupil to retain so well the lesson taught. 

Among the many things that experience has 
taught the writer, while engaged in evangelistic 
work here and there is, not to be too hasty in re- 
porting the ''great'' and "wonderful" meetings 
or the great success lie was Jiaving. 

Some years ago before experience taught us this 
lesson, we were conducting a series of revival meet- 
ings in central Illinois. And on the first few nights 
of the meeting, seekers flocked to the altar and 
prayed like the house was on fire. Several pro- 
fessed to get through and we were having a won- 
derful time. So much so, that we had to hurriedly 
write home and tell of the '^ wonder fuV meeting 
we were having. Every service after that was flat 
and unprofitable throughout the remaining part of 
the meeting. We prayed, preached and labored 
hard to bring it back to its former glory, but like 

21 



22 The Worker's Secret of Unction 

Hezekiah, we had egotistically displayed the golden 
vessel of the temple too quickly, and God withdrew 
His Spirit, as a rebuke to our evangelistic pride. 

Since that time we have taken special notice at 
that particular point. And almost invariably, 
whenever God is marvelously working in a meet- 
ing, and we have too much to say about it through 
the mail, to the friends at home, or to outsiders, 
the temperature of the meeting takes a sudden drop. 

The technical school of experience seems to have 
taught the evangelist Charles G. Finney the same 
lesson. We here quote from his ^* Lectures'' (page 
259), *'When part of the church begin to think 
what a great revival they have had, and how they 
have labored and prayed, and how bold and zeal- 
ous they have been, and how much good they have 
done, then the work will be likely to decline. Per- 
haps it has been published in the papers, what a 
revival there has been in that church, and how much 
engaged the members have been, and they think 
how high they shall stand in the estimation of other 
churches all over the land, because they have had 
such a great revival. And so they get puffed up 
and vain, and then they can no longer enjoy the 
presence of God, and the Spirit withdraws from 
them, and the revival ceases." 

' ' Not so lightly, jesting spirit ; 
Do not trifle so with pride. 
The gate of life is narrow. 
There are few who enter in. 



Blowing Your Own Horn 23 

Setting God before thine eyes, 
Be boldly good and wise ; 
Cherish grave and manly thoughts ; 
Buy the truth and sell it not ; 
To thyself and truth be true, 
To thy friends be faithful too. ' ' 



CHAPTER X 
Unequally Yoked 

''Be ye not unequally yoked together with un- 
believers.'' (II Cor. 6:14.) 

If Satan does not succeed in getting a soul to 
backslide and give up the way, his next aim is to 
in some way get them out of divine order. It will 
take nothing less than the books of the judgment 
and the clear, undimmed light of eternity fully to 
reveal the great number of God's called and 
anointed workers who have been hindered for life 
at this point. 

Getting married to the wrong person^ and at the 
wrong time, is almost an unpardonable evil amongst 
religious workers. Satan does not seem to possess 
a more successful instrument with which to tram- 
mel, hinder, cripple, discourage and overthrow 
them than this. 

All one has to do is to look about them to see 
the dire results of this giant evil. There are both 
young men and women all about us upon whom 
hundreds of dollars have been spent, preparing 
them for the foreign fields, but where are they now ? 
They have laid aside their calling and yielded to 

24 



Unequally Yoked 25 

the enchanting voice of ^^ease'^ and married. And 
today they are either backslidden and living in 
sin, or living a tame ordinary Christian life, and 
thus pulling and tugging to make ends meet. 

There are also highly anointed evangelists here 
and there throughout the country, who have been 
mightily used of God in other days. But since 
yoking up with a shallow, half-saved companion, 
they have been influenced to live on an ordinary 
plane and run on a lower tension. ^ ' Oh, tell it not 
inGath!'' 

Getting married at the wrong time and to the 
wrong person has no doubt retarded the work of 
God in the home and foreign fields as much or more 
than the rum curse. Eeader, see the millions of 
heathens dying in darkness, after waiting many 
years for the God-sent message and messenger, who 
turned aside to marry and never came! 

We verily believe that there is no other enter- 
prise, business proposition, or contract that a hu- 
man being could enter, that would require so much 
prayer and waiting upon God, for His clear leading, 
as the one of which we now write. 

''Shall the God-given hours be scattered 
Like the leaves upon the plain ? 
Shall the blossoms die unwatered 
By the dews of heavenly rain?" 



CHAPTER XI 

Funny Story Telling 

'*Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned 
with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to an- 
swer every man. ^ ' ( Col. 4 : 6. ) 

If there is a place in the world that should be 
kept free from slang, jesting, light talk and funny 
story-telling, it is the pulpit. And there is not a 
class of beings between heaven and hell, who)$hould 
more rudely oppose it than the man of God, the 
mouthpiece of eternity, — the ambassador of heaven, 
— the watchman on Zion's holy hill. 

Can we conceive of a more ridiculous thing in 
the sight of God and angels than a minister of the 
gospel, out of whose eyes should glare eternity 
and whose lips should pour forth in streams of 
liquid fire the words of life, wasting his precious 
time telling funny stories? 

If he has no burning message from heaven for 
trifling mortals, it would be better to get a pick-axe 
and go out digging ditches than to play with holy 
things. 

Oh, the number of good sermons that have been 
spoiled on this line! Brethren, under God, let us 

26 



Funny Story Telling 27 

avoid this common evil as we would lying and 
stealing, for it is far too late in the day to trifle 
with immortal souls. 

*'And must I be to judgment brought, 
And answer in that day, 
For every vain and idle thought 
And every word I say ? 

How careful then ought I to live ; 

With what religious fear ; 
Who such a strict account must give 

For my behavior here.'* 



CHAPTER XII 

Undue Familiarity 

''For the lips of a strange woman drop as an 
honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: 
But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two- 
edged sword. Her feet go down to death ; her steps 
take hold on hell." (Prov. 5: 3-5.) 

We have before us such a delicate subject that 
the writer hardly knows where to begin. However, 
he feels that his booklet would be quite incomplete 
without at least a short chapter on this subject. 

We will begin our remarks by informing the 
reader of the fact that the subject before us is one 
of the greatest upon earth. Where drinking, gam- 
bling, swearing and stealing have slain their thou- 
sands, women have slain their tens of thousands — 
yea, millions ! And of all the men upon earth who 
should be extremely careful at this point, it should 
be the evangelist, — the public man of God. For 
Satan seems to take great delight in setting snares 
of this nature along his pathway. He is constantly 
prompting some attractive woman to be uncommon- 
ly sociable by inviting him home to dinner or tell- 
ing him of her family troubles. 

28 



Undue Familiarity 29 

The pathway of the man of God is strewn with 
these and similar traps from one end of the year 
to the other. Our brief experience of twenty-four 
years in the work of the Lord has taught us that 
one cannot be too careful at this point. For women 
who, were the evangelist unsaved, would not stop 
to wipe their feet upon him, will fix their eyes and 
affections upon him and give him a hard run in 
the spirit; and unless he rudely withstands their 
untiring onslaughts and keeps prayed up, down 
and throughy they will surely succeed in turning 
him from the holy way. 

The only successful way to keep victory, is to 
nip it in the bud by repelling the first and slightest 
attack, for an after remedy will come too late. 

O man of God ! When Satan has you upon the 
pinnacle of temptation at this point, hurriedly take 
the following retrospect, for it will help you to 
stand your ground. 

Remember it was a woman that overthrew Adam 
and caused him to be turned out of blooming Eden. 
It was a woman that threw Sampson from the 
lofty tower of power and usefulness into the pit 
of shame and disgrace. It was a woman who put 
that dark blot on the history of King David that 
all the waters of earth will not wash away. It was 
a woman that stripped King Solomon of his purple 
robe and starry crown, and clothed him with shame 
and infinite contempt. 

It was a woman that persuaded King Herod to 
behead the greatest human prophet the world ever 



30 The Worker's Secret of Unction 

knew. It was also a woman that looked Peter out 
of countenance and caused him to deny the Lord 
with an oath. 

man of God ! thou herald of good tidings ; be 
careful! For a misstep at this point will bring a 
tidal wave of shame and disgrace, as wide as the 
world and immeasurable as eternity. Remember, 
hundreds of souls are depending on you being true. 
There is no telling how many will lose their way 
if you fail. stand fast ! hold on ! hold out, and 
the crown of victory shall be yours ! 

^^Will there be regret, my brother? 
Will there be regret? 
When the harvest is over, 
And you stand before the Judge, 
my brother, will there be regret?" 



CHAPTER XIII 

How TO Begin a Revival 

^^We then, as workers together with Him.'' (II 
Cor. 6:1.) 

Our object in this chapter is to submit to the 
reader a few suggestions on what steps to take in 
beginning a revival. They are as follows: 1. If 
it be convenient, the pastor and his members should 
begin house to house prayer meetings at least one 
week before the evangelist arrives. This will not 
only revive the members and get them in working 
order, but will create an interest among the out- 
siders as well. 

2, The evangelist on arriving should not begin 
at once to preach to the unsaved. He should begin 
by preaching to the children of God, either on the 
subject of prayer or faith. In doing this he will 
accomplish the following three things : 1. He will 
edify and strengthen the faith of the church. 2. 
He will, to some extent, get acquainted with his 
congregation, so as to know who are Christians and 
who are sinners. 3. lie will, to some extent, make 
his way into the confidence of the church people. 
This, of course, is very necessary on the part of 

31 



32 The Worker^s Secret of Unction 

an evangelist before he can succeed in having a 
revival. 

3. His next two or three sermons should be close 
and heart-searching, and especially to the Christian 
people ; so as to get them properly located. By this 
method he will know and the people will know who 
are sanded, who are sanctified and who are backslid- 
den at heart. This, of course, will unlock the meet- 
ing and cause some one to come to the altar for 
pardon, reclamation or sanctification. After this, 
it will be in order to direct his messages to sinners, 
as the Spirit leads. 

4. He must not harp on one class of truth every 
night, but diversify his themes. That is, preach on 
sin one night, repentance one night, death one night 
and hell the next night, etc. It hardens sinners 
to preach the wrath of God to them every night. 

5. The evangelist must not use his strongest mes- 
sages first, but the weaker one, and thus work up 
to the stronger ones. For a weak message will have 
no effect after he has delivered a stronger one. 

6. If he feels strongly impressed that God would 
have him deliver a certain message, he must not 
change it because the crowd is smaller than he ex- 
pected, unless the Spirit prompts him to do so. 

The writer once let a two weeks' revival meeting 
die on his hands because he changed one message 
to suit the crowd. By doing so, he missed God's 
thought, missed the game and had a dry time 
preaching almost throughout the entire meeting. 

7. The evangelist must be careful not to spread 



How to Begin a Revival 33 

his subjects out too wide, trying to hit too many 
classes of people in one meeting. If so, he may fail 
to properly impress any. It will be like setting a 
hen on too many eggs. She will spoil them all and 
hatch out none. It is better not to preach to sin- 
ners, hypocrites, backsliders, justified people all in 
one sermon. If so, the chances are no class will 
be brought under conviction. 

8. If the evangelist discovers when delivering his 
discourse that he has staked off more territory than 
the Spirit is helping him to cover, he should cut 
his sermon in half and stop while the Spirit is 
helping him. For there is hardly anything more 
destructive to the nerves of a congregation of people 
than to listen to a long, dry sermon. 

' ' O everlasting Truth, 

Truest of all, that's true; 
Sure guide of erring age and youth, 
Lead me and teach me, too!" 



CHAPTER XIV 

How TO Give an Altar Call 

**And he said unto them, Cast the net on the 
right side of the ship, and ye shall find/' (Jno. 
21:6.) 

The evangelist must use lots of wisdom at this 
point, for many times after a good sermon has been 
preached the victory is lost in the altar call. It 
will be necessary to use a little religious strategy in 
giving the invitation to seekers. If in his first call 
he invites sinners to come forward, unless power- 
fully convicted, they will not respond, owing to 
being timid and backward. Therefore, it will be 
necessary first to appeal to a less timid class of 
his hearers. He should make his first call to that 
class of Christians who feel a lack and are not satis- 
fied. This call, of course, is likely to bring at 
least one or two to the altar. His next appeal 
should be to the backsliders. If any come forward, 
very well. Then the evangelist can proceed to in- 
vite sinners forward, and they will most likely re- 
spond because someone has broken the spell of 
intimidation and led the way. 

If in making his first and second appeal to weak 

34 



How to Give an Altar Call 35 

Christians and backsliders, no one responds, he 
should follow up the call by inviting any Christian 
father, mother, sister or friend who has an un- 
saved loved one in the audience to come bow at 
the altar for that person. To this call several are 
likely to respond. Of course, when three or four 
people are kneeling at the altar, it will not appear 
to the sinner to be such ah awful thing, and he is 
most likely to come, where otherwise he would re- 
fuse. 

It is a good thing sometimes for the evangelist 
to walk back among the congregation and invite 
anyone forward that he thinks may be deeply 
impressed. They will more likely respond to him 
than to anyone else. I do not mean by this, how- 
ever, that the other Christians are not to go back 
in the audience and do personal work, for it is quite 
profitable at times, provided they do not tease and 
bore the people too much. 

It is generally best that the person who delivers 
the message give the altar call, for they are in the 
spirit, whereas another man would have to work 
up to that pitch. And many times the meeting 
dies before he reaches it. 

''Thou must be true thyself, 

If thou the truth wouldst teach ; 

Thy soul must overflow, if thou 
Another's soul would reach! 

It needs the overflow of heart 
To give the lips full speech.'' 



CHAPTER XV 

How TO Instruct Seekers 

*'And Philip ran thither to him (the eunuch), 
and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, 
Understandest thou what thou readest? And he 
said, How can I except some man should guide 
me?'' (Acts 8:30, 31.) 

We have before us, in this chapter, the most im- 
portant phase of gospel work, namely, altar service. 
No doubt, hundreds of earnest souls have been side- 
tracked at this particular point. The preaching 
may have been straight and doctrinal, but the de- 
fect wa^ in the instructions received at the altar. 
This sad state of affairs is true not only at popular 
revivals, but alsb at some meetings conducted by 
the more pious people. Therefore, for this reason, 
I here submit the following suggestions for the 
earnest consideration of those who labor in the 
vineyard of the Master: 

1. The first thing workers should do after a 
seeker reaches the altar is to find out where he is 
spiritually, and what he came forward to seek; 
for quite frequently a person who is backslidden, 
or who has never been converted, comes forward 

36 



How to Instruct Seekers 37 

as a candidate for sanctification. Hence, what he 
receives and brands as ^^ holiness" is nothing more 
than conversion or reclamation. The altar is the 
proper place to set a person right on these lines; 
if he passes this station and is wrong, the chances 
are he will always be wrong. 

2. The second thing he should be exhorted to do, 
is to lift up his head and pray out boldly to Grod. 
By so doing, his conviction will deepen, his desire 
will be intensified and the spirit of prayer will fall 
upon both seeker and worker. On the other hand, if 
he comes to the altar and buries his face in his 
handkerchief, the conviction will lift, the spirit of 
prayer will leave, and a dumb spirit will take pos- 
session of the entire service. 

3. It is not well for too many workers to talk to 
the seeker at the same time, one telling him to ^ ' sur- 
render" and another to ^^ believe," while another 
exhorts him to ** confess," and still another exhorts 
him to ''claim it." Such conduct has confused 
and discouraged many an honest soul. 

4. We have also found it a greater hindrance 
than help, to speak to a seeker about dress when 
he has received no light upon the subject. It is so 
new and strange to him that it entirely upsets him 
before he has prayed through. 

5. Again, we sometimes make a great mistake by 
keeping a seeker at the altar too long. When we 
notice that the spirit of prayer is being lifted, we 
should let him retire. When an altar service is 
prolonged after the spirit of prayer has lifted, it 



38 The Worker ^s Secret of Unction 

generally results in one of two things. The seeker 
will either grow tired and disgusted, and never 
come to the altar again, or else the workers, because 
they are tired and faint, will persuade him into a 
dry-eyed profession of religion without any witness 
of the Spirit. 

6. Still another way of confusing and hindering 
a soul at the altar is for workers to jerk and pull 
him around. Of course, this may sometimes be 
permissible, when some individual worker is bur- 
dened for them, and feels prompted by the Spirit ; 
otherwise, it is exceedingly hurtful. 

7. The victory has been lost at many an altar 
service through the workers losing interest and vis- 
iting with different ones in the audience. 

8. To sing an appropriate song occasionally dur- 
ing an altar service, to stimulate the faith of the 
seeker, is perfectly right, but to do so too frequent- 
ly drives away the spirit of prayer. We must 
ever bear this thought in mind — we can not sing 
souls through, but must pray them through. 

9. It is very, very unkind, as well as unwise for 
a worker to reveal a secret entrusted to his care by 
a seeker at the altar. There is nothing that will 
more quickly destroy confidence and breed con- 
tempt. 

10. Every worker should strictly avoid manifest- 
ing the least degree of partiality when laboring 
with a soul at the altar. He should manifest the 
same degree of interest in the sons and daughters 
of others that he does in his own. To do otherwise 



How to Instruct Seekers 39 

evidences the fact that he needs to get saved him- 
self. 

11. It is also very imprudent for workers to con- 
tradict or cross-fire each other in the presence of 
seekers. It has a tendency to destroy the seeker's 
confidence in both persons. 

12. No one should be allowed to work around the 
altar whose life is not upright and circumspect 
before God and man ; if such a worker is not right 
with Grod, it will destroy the influence of every good 
man and woman in the meeting. 

13. Workers should also avoid taking hold of, 
or holding up the hands of a person of the opposite 
sex. Such conduct is hurtful and has, no doubt, 
paved the way to ruin for many a soul. 

14. It is very imprudent for workers to have fre- 
quent private interviews with a seeker of the op- 
posite sex. For the lack of proper precaution here, 
many preachers have crippled their influence and 
grieved God. 

15. Confessions that are of a delicate nature 
should be made to persons of the same sex. Thou- 
sands have been led into sin and shame through 
^^ Itching Ear Gate." 

''To know the Christ of God, 
The everlasting Son ; 
To know what He on earth 
For guilty man has done : 
This is the first and last 
Of all that's true and wise, 



40 The Worker ^s Secret of Unction 

The circle that contains all light 
Beneath, above, the skies. 
Father, unseal my eyes, 
Unveil my veiled heart. 
Reveal this Christ to me!'' 



CHAPTER XVI 
How TO Pass the Difficult Point 

' ^ Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer 
and fasting. ' ' (Matt. 17 : 21. ) 

In conducting revival meetings the evangelist 
sometimes reaches a point where everything seems 
to be at a standstill. For a time it will appear that 
no one is being affected by the message, and in 
the meantime sinners will seem determined not to 
come to the altar. This is a time when inexperi- 
enced evangelists generally get confused and dis- 
couraged. However, we are glad to be able to give 
them a remedy for the above mentioned circum- 
stance. It is thus : 

1. After delivering the message, instead of the 
evangelist giving the usual altar call, he should have 
the whole church come up around the altar and 
spend sometime in earnest prayer, that God might 
pour out His Spirit in a wonderful way in con- 
victing and converting sinners, convicting and re- 
claiming backsliders, and sanctifying believers. 

2. Next, he should proclaim a day of prayer and 
fasting, and request every member of the church 
who is present to join him. They should all lift 

41 



42 The Worker's Secret of Unction 

their hearts to God in silent prayer throughout the 
entire day, for a special break in the meeting. Dur- 
ing this time of self-denial, humiliation and wait- 
ing before God, they should be careful to avoid all 
unnecessary visiting, light talking, self indulgence, 
etc. 

3. On returning to the church the following 
night, instead of conducting the meeting in the 
same role, the evangelist should have a season of 
prayer, and then open the meeting for twenty min- 
utes' testimony before preaching. At the close of 
the testimony meeting, before the sermon, it would 
be well to sing a good, free and easy song, and 
let all the people go around and shake hands with 
each other. Likely by this time things will begin 
to loosen up, and the meeting will continue in fervor 
and power until it closes. We have seen the Spirit 
of God so come upon the people that the preacher 
did not get a chance to preach at all. God has more 
than one way of defeating the enemy of righteous- 
ness. 

*'Pass on from strength to strength, 
Faint not, nor yield; 

With girded loins press on, the goal is near ; 
With ready sword fight God's great battle here: 
Win thou the field!" 



CHAPTER XVII 
The Help op the Holy Ghost 

''Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, 
saith the Lord of host/' (Zeeh. 4: 6.) 

If one would be successful in winning souls to 
Christ, they must always give the Holy Ghost first 
and chief place. Some evangelists place too much 
confidence in their talent, ability and sermons, but 
all of these things are a complete failure aside from 
the Holy Ghost. There is nothing this side of 
heaven that will break down stubborn wills, melt 
hard hearts, dethrone pride and make an end of 
prejudice and rebellion but the power of the Holy 
Ghost. 

It was this that fell upon the hard-hearted 
Scribes and Pharisees on the day of Pentecost, 
causing three thousand to be converted to God. 
Peter's sermon was by no means an eloquent one 
from the world's point of view, neither was it in 
accordance with the rules of homiletics, yet it 
mowed down the grain and brought men to Christ 
by the thousands. 

The sermons preached by John Wesley were not 
strictly eloquent, but were freighted with the unc- 

43 



44 The Worker ^s Secret of Unction 

tion and power of the Holy Ghost, therefore they 
set in motion a revival that became as wide as the 
world and long as time. 

Charles G. Finney, after tarrying for the second 
blessing, viz., the baptism of the Holy Ghost and 
fire, delivered sermons which shook three worlds 
and landed countless numbers upon the streets of^ 
gold. 

Sammy Morris, the heathen boy, sought and ob- 
tained the Holy Ghost and instantly became a 
living flame of fire, and won souls to Christ on land 
and sea. At the time he received the Holy Ghost 
he did not know a single letter in the alphabet, 
but immediately he began preaching Jesus to the 
hungry multitudes in his ignorant, stammering 
way, and souls were mowed down before him like 
wheat before the scythe. 

It is true, culture and refinement are all right 
in their places, but they will not reprove and con- 
vince men of sin, righteousness and of judgment 
to come. Reader, whatever you do or leave undone, 
see to it that you get the second blessing, viz., the 
baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire. It will not 
only be necessary to get the Holy Ghost, but obey 
and live under His control. This is the only road 
to success in the evangelistic field. 

' ' O for that flame of living fire 
"Which shone so bright in saints of old ; 
Which bade their souls to heaven aspire. 
Calm in distress, in danger bold. 



The Help of the Holy Ghost 45 

Remember, Lord, the ancient days 
Renew thy work ; thy grace restore ; 
And while to thee our hearts we raise, 
On us thy Holy Spirit pour." 



CHAPTER XVIII 
How TO Treat God's Promises 

"I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." (Josh. 
1:5.) 

The evangelist must ever keep in mind whose 
servant he is and the nature of his calling. He is 
heaven's representative upon earth. He is com- 
missioned by the Great God of the Universe who 
has promised to see him through. God has also 
placed into his hands the Bible which is heaven's 
catalogue; and has also pledged His word and 
honor to furnish, by prompt delivery, all that it 
promises. Hence, there should not be a class of 
mortals upon earth who believe and rely upon the 
promises of God more fully than the evangelist. 
When a wholesale house places its catalogue in 
the hands of a salesman and sends him to the field, 
he is to believe and rely upon their promises mth- 
out wavering. 

The evangelist should never have the least doubt 
about God answering him, because he has the fol- 
lowing promises in the catalogue: '^He shall call 
upon me and I will answer him." (Psl. 31:15.) 
''And it shall come to pass, that before they call, 
I will answer; and Avhile they are yet speaking, I 
will hear." (Isa. 65:24.) 

When Joshua commanded the sun to stand still, 

46 



Hoiv to Treat God's Promises 47 

he expected God to answer him, because He had 
commissioned him to do that work. When Elijah 
cried to the Lord to send fire upon the sacrifice, he 
had no doubts whatever about God answering. For 
he was His servant and God told him to do that 
work. What else would He do but answer? Elijah 
ordered goods that were listed in the catalogue of 
heaven, and God shipped them right out. He did 
not leave it to an angel, but, as it was a '^special 
order,'' He filled it Himself. 

When Elisha prayed to the Lord to open the 
servant's eyes to behold the horses and chariots 
that were encircling the mountain, he expected it 
to be done and it was done. 

When Peter addressing the lame man, said, **In 
the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and 
walk" (Acts 3: 16), he expected it to be done be- 
cause his Master who sent him said it would be 
done. (Mark 16: 16-18.) 

Reader, Peter did not have a single promise that 
you haven't got toda}^ The only difference between 
the two of you is this, Peter unhesitatingly believed 
the promises and you do not. 

that the heralds of the gospel would fully he- 
lieve the word of God, and stand unwavering upon 
each promise! If this were done, the devil would 
soon have to go out of business. 

'* God's words, not man's. 

Be these thy gems and gold ; 
Be these thy never-setting stars, 
Still radiant as of old." 



CHAPTER XIX 

How TO Retain Humility 

''Hlimble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, 
and He shall lift yon up. ' ' ( Jas. 4 : 10. ) 

Usually after the evangelist has been wonder- 
fully helped of the Lord in preaching a sermon 
or conducting a series of meetings, the devil comes 
around to remind him of the fact and to throw a 
few bouquets at his feet. The evangelist has to 
be very watchful and discreet at this point or else 
Jie will accept them, admit pride into his heart and 
get that distemper called ''The big-head." 

In order to defeat the devil on this line we would 
advise that the following exercise be taken promptly 
after each sermon : 

1. Just after the benediction has been pronounced 
he should slip away to his room, get down on his 
face before God and thank Him again and again 
for helping him, and thus give Him all the glory. 

2. While lying there upon his face he should re- 
mind the Lord of how useless, wretched and sinful 
he was by nature, and of wkere He found him, and 
to what height He has lifted him ; and also of the 
much grace required to keep him in that exalted 
place. 

48 



How to Retain Humility 49 

3. At this time it would be profitable also for 
the evangelist to remind Him of the many spiritual 
blunders and mistakes he has made in his brief 
Christian life. Yes, tell him, too, of the many times 
he has been thoughtless, hasty and negligent, and 
thereby grieved His Holy Spirit. 

4. It would also be helpful for the evangelist to 
tell Him of the many things he does not know, 
calling His attention to some of the preachers and 
evangelists, who eclipse him by far from every point 
of view. 

5. He should also confess how likely he is to be 
backslidden and in the depths of sin within twenty- 
four hours, unless God continues to sustain him by 
His grace. 

6. He should remind Him, too, of the many dry 
sermons he has preached when the Spirit did not 
help and lift him. He should tell Him also of the 
time he lost his way in the labyrinth of thought, 
and had to take his seat amid a sea of embarrass- 
ment like a timid schoolboy. 

If he will take one of these exercises after each 
''wonderful sermon'^ and ''glorious meeting,'' we 
believe he will be able to retain at least a degree 
of his humility. 



a 



Forbid It, Lord, that I should boast. 
Save in the death of Christ, my God ; 

All the vain things that charm me most, 
I sacrifice them to His blood." 



CHAPTER XX 
How TO Fast 



C6 



Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypo- 
crites, of a sad countenance." (Matt. 6:16.) 

We frankly admit that the above mentioned 
means of grace has been greatly abused by cranks, 
fanatics and extremists. Notwithstanding that fact, 
it has been a means through which God has con- 
veyed great blessings upon His people in every age 
of the church. Moses fasted, Elijah fasted, Nehe- 
miah fasted, Daniel fasted, Jesus fasted, and all 
the saints in every age fasted. Jesus said, some 
devils went not out but by prayer and fasting. Mr. 
Wesley said, ''A man who never fasted was no more 
on the way to heaven than one who never prayed. ' ' 

Now, for the benefit of God-fearing, conscien- 
tious souls, I herewith give a few hints on how to 
fast to the best advantage : 

1. As far as possible, devote one certain day of 
the week for this pious employment, whichever 
one would be the most convenient. 

2. What we mean by the word ''fasting,'' in 
this sense, is total abstinence, namely, eating no 
food, nor drinking any water until your fast is 
ended. 

50 



How to Fast 51 



3. As far as possible, it should be done in secret. 
We should not tell it broadcast, but do it privately ; 
God will then reward us openly. 

4. When fasting Ave should arrange our toilet 
just the same as usual by washing our face, combing 
our hair, cleaning oar teeth, etc. We should, by all 
means, keep our breath from being offensive to 
those around us. 

5. If in the morning you intend to fast until 
midday or evening, and if in the meantime you 
see food, become hungry and break your fast, re- 
member that you have not sinned, but that you 
will not reap any benefit from that fast. You have 
yielded to the tempter to that extent, and lost the 
victory you might have won. 

6. On your fast day you should refrain from 
talking any more than is absolutely necessary. Do 
not mistake my meaning and think that you are 
not to go to your employment. You are to work 
just the same as on any other day. To stay home 
and lie in bed would be to take away part of the 
cross from the fast. 

7. God may sometimes lay it upon your heart 
to fast two or three days; if so, you will have to 
go through with it. You can not get around it 
and keep blessed. The difficulty in undergoing a 
long fast is to get through the first and second day. 

8. When breaking a long fast, one should be 
very careful not to eat too heavily. Milk and crack- 
ers or soup and crackers or some other light diet 
are sufficient for the first meal. 



52 The Worker ^s Secret of Unction 

9. When absent from home or going on a long 
journey, it might be wise to defer fasting until 
you return home. We should be careful and not 
get in bondage or under a strain. We should not 
consider ourselves backsliders because we are too 
busy or feel too feeble in our bodies to keep the 
fast day. 

10. It is not using good judgment to try to fast 
on Sunday. It puts one under too great a strain, 
and handicaps one for the services. 

11. It is a very unwise thing to mince or partly 
fast every day. This sort of conduct has caused 
many a good worker to break down with stomach 
trouble. When we are fasting we should fast, and 
when we are eating we should eat. 

12. Experience has long since taught the writer 
that to take a heavy preaching service on an empty 
stomach did him more harm than good. It is all 
right to fast before the service, but it is better to 
eat something light before entering the pulpit. God 
will assist us just as much in delivering the mes- 
sage, if not more. At times, we have found our- 
selves so faint in the pulpit while undergoing a 
fast that we were almost exhausted before we de- 
livered God's message. 

Lord, give us sufficient wisdom to know how to 
serve Thee to the best advantage! 



<€ 



For I must fight if I would conquer; 
'Tis not by flight that fields are won : 
And I must conquer, if I would inherit 
The victor's joy, and crown, and throne. '* 



CHAPTER XXI 

Clashing with a Fjellow- Worker 

**But avoid * * * contentions, and striving 
about the law ; for they are unprofitable and vain. ' ' 
(Tit. 3:9.) 

So many meetings have been either killed or 
crippled through a misunderstanding arising be- 
tween the workers on points of doctrine. Often- 
times, they are both at fault, while at other times 
the committee who selected and invited the work- 
ers is at fault. Before yoking two evangelists up 
to conduct a meeting, the committee who has that 
part of the work in hand should first find out what 
they believe, and if the two can work harmoniously 
together. What pressure is frequently brought on 
a camp meeting through one evangelist delivering a 
message in the forenoon and the other flatly con- 
tradicting it in the afternoon! This manner of 
conduct doubtlessly makes angels weep and devils 
rejoice. 

Even though one evangelist may be right in the 
position he takes, yet all such contention breeds 

53 



54 The Worker's Secret of Unction 

strife, divides the minds of the people, grieves the 
Spirit and cripples a meeting. Many years of care- 
ful observation have proved to the writer that some- 
times it is better to let a wild, erroneous remark 
quietly pass by, than to rebut it. For many times 
no one else in the congregation has noticed it, but 
if he should jump to his feet and rebut or try to 
correct it, he would only confuse the minds of the 
people and start the ball of contention rolling. 

If an evangelist while assisting in such a meeting 
awakes to the fact that the doctrine and ideas of 
his fellow-worker are such that it is absolutely 
necessary that he should publicly contradict him, it 
would be far better to excuse himself and go else- 
where, rather than give sinners, hypocrites and 
skeptics new material with which to oppose the 
cause of God. 

The convictions of the writer, when caught in 
similar circumstances, have been rather than have 
a public contention and kill the meeting, to preach 
on other subjects that would help the congregation 
as a whole, and leave the theme of his fellow evan- 
gelist altogether untouched from the platform. Of 
course, if any person came to him privately, enquir- 
ing his views in the matter, he felt free to give 
them. 

We hope the reader will not misunderstand us, 
and think we mean, not to publicly oppose rank 
error, such as Russellism, Mormonism, Christian 
Science, etc. What we here have reference to is 



Clashing with a Fellow-Worker 55 

when workers disagree on minor points. We have 
no reference whatever to rank error. 

''0 strife, there's fever in thy touch, 
And irenzy in thine eye ; 
To lose and shun thee is to live, 
To win thee is to die! 

Thou woundest, but thou canst not heal, 
Thy words are filled with knives, 

Thy hand contains the poisoned cup, 
And he who drinks it dies. ' ' 



CHAPTER XXII 

Jonah in Tboubi^d Waters 

'*And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast 
me forth into the sea ; so shall the sea be calm unto 
you/' (Jon. 1:12.) 

The Bible contains either a character or a cir- 
cumstance, that when spiritually applied, describes 
every stage of the Christian's experience. 

Let us take a hurried glance at the character 
before us, from two or three points of view. 

1. He is a man who was once clearly saved of 
God. 

2. He has been called and set apart for a certain 
work. 

3. He is in troubled waters and Timing a hard 
time. Hundreds of God's called and anointed work- 
ers are to-day in these troubled waters. 

What is causing all the trouble with Jonah, may 
we ask? Has he gotten drunk, stolen a horse or 
robbed a bank? No! Disobedience at one point 
is causing it all. Let us observe him more closely 
yet. 

1. On being in these troubled waters he is not 
only hindering himself but others also. How about 
this, reader? 

56 



Jonah in Troubled Waters 57 

2. The farther he went in the wrong direction, 
and the longer he remained on the boat, the more 
rapidly the trouble increased. If some churches, 
missions and business enterprises do not quickly 
throw ^'the Jonah" overboard, they will surely go 
to pieces. Reader, are you following your God- 
given calling? If not, no matter how many other 
good things you are doing, you are out of divine 
order. God's full blessing will never come upon 
your soul until you agree to that on^ thing, fol- 
low that one calling. Neither will there await you 
any reward in heaven. 

The question may arise here. How shall I get 
out of the troubled waters? — ^We answer, retrace 
your steps as far as possible, and get back in di- 
vine order. Secondly : Renew your vows to God. 
This is what Jonah did. Begin now, to recall the 
early-day light and convictions and walk in them, 
and no matter how many whales of earthly en- 
tanglements you have gotten into, God can make 
them throw you out on terra firma. 

Thirdly : Settle it to obey God at any cost, from 
this to the judgment. If you will do these things, 
reader, I assure you on the authority of God's 
word that He will bless and use you again. (Mai. 
3:10.) 

When all is on the altar 

A sacrifice complete 

You'll see the glory streaming 

Down on the mercy seat. 



CHAPTER XXIII 

The School of Faith 

''And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabi- 
tants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God 
of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall 
not be dew or rain these years, but according to 
my word." (I Kg. 17:1.) 

When we come to God from back-woods of sin, 
our first and chief need is to be instructed how 
to live the life of faith. There are no exceptions ; 
every one who gets saved must be instructed on 
this line. However, the nature of our life's work 
will have much to do with how long we remain in 
the school of faith. 

In this entire chapter we have a beginner in 
the school of faith. He seems to have just ar- 
rived from the backwoods ; for he was never heard 
of until now. 

It will no doubt be of great help to the young 
evangelist to take special notice of Elijah's courses 
of study during his stay in the school of faith. 

1. His first lesson in faith will be seen in verse 
4. There, his divine Instructor seems to have 
had no regard for common sense and human reason, 

58 



The School of Faith 59 

If he should have acted according to the dictates 
of human reasons, He would have kept Elijah in 
the city where there were food and water ; for there 
he would more likely have gotten something to eat. 
But lo, He orders him out of the city saying, * ' Get 
thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thy- 
self by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 
(I Kg. 17:3.) 

God does not lead any of his children according 
to the dictates of human reason, but by a new and 
untried way. 

2. Elijah's next lesson in the divine primer will 
be seen in verse 4. There, a new and unthought of 
method is introduced by God; something that the 
prophet never dreamed of. Think of a man in a 
solitary desert being fed by a wild bird! Who 
could do such a thing but God? 

Reader, fear not, God can take care of you. All 
you have to do is to do His bidding and He will 
see you through. 

3. God, in order to keep faith active (in verse 
6), did not send supplies for a week or a month, 
but sent it as he needed it, so that the prophet 
would not relax his grip of faith, but ^^keep on he- 
lieving,^^ 

Reader, this may account for why God does not 
let you get too much money ahead, it might affect 
your faith. The promise is — ^'And as thy days, 
so shall thy strength be. '' (Deut. 33 : 25.) 

4. We notice in verse 7 that Elijah has now been 
in faith's school long enough to have an examina- 



60 The Worker's Secret of Unction 

tion day. Here we find God testing the prophet's 
faith, by suddenly taking away the thing He had 
given him. God surely gave him the spring of 
water: What does He mean now by permitting 
it to go dry in a time like this 1 Did He not have 
power to keep it flowing ? Of course He did ! What 
was His reason for letting it go dry and causing 
His servant to have to look for other quarters? 
He no doubt was testing the prophet's faith, to 
see if it rested on the spring or on Him, So many 
people's faith when tested, is found to rest upon 
their circumstances and environments, rather than 
upon God. They did not awake to the fact, how- 
ever, until God let their spring go dry. 

5. The next lesson in the school of faith that 
was diflScult for the prophet to learn will be seen 
in verse 10 when God told him to go to Zarepath, 
that he had commanded a widow to feed him there. 
No doubt the prophet thought it was some rich 
old Israelitish widow who had a great plenty. But 
when he got there and saw the tJiin, ragged, hunger- 
bitten woman at the gate, gathering sticks with 
which to cook her last meal and then yield up her 
life to the wolf of starvation, it was almost too 
much for his faith. Nevertheless, he rallied above 
it and mastered his new lesson. 

6. The graduating exercises took place in verse 
17, where, from the human point of view, God was 
not only unwise but cruel. For after Elijah had 
gotten located in his new quarters, and things were 
running smoothly, lo and behold, God comes along 



The School of Faith 61 

and kills the widow 's boy. what an opportunity 
for *' blind unbelief" to criticize the conduct of 
the Most High! The widow, however, failed to 
discern from her hazy view-point that God per- 
mitted it all, so as to give her a much greater reve- 
lation of His power than she had ever realized 
before. It also appears that Elijah was a little 
too short-sighted to see, that through this apparent 
misfortune, God was putting the finishing touch 
on his faith, and thus preparing him to be the 
world's champion in prayer. 

Never before or since has any human being been 
permitted to lock and unlock heaven, at will, with 
their prayers like the prophet Elijah. The word 
says, '^Elias was a man subject to like passions 
as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might 
not rain; and it rained not on the earth by the 
space of three years and six months. And he prayed 
again, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth 
brought forth her fruit." (Jas. 5: 17, 18.) 

*^I ask a perfect creed! 
Oh, that to me were given 
The teaching that leads none astray. 
The scholarships of heaven. 

Calm faith that grasps the word 
Of him who cannot lie, 
That hears alone the voice divine 
Though crowds are standing by." 



CHAPTER XXIV 

The Popular and Unpopular Period 

*^And when the people saw what Paul had done, 
they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of 
Lyeaonia, the gods are come down to us in the 
likeness of men. ' ' (Acts 14 : 11. ) ' ' And there came 
thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, 
who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, 
drew him out of the city, supposing he had been 
dead.'' (Acts 14: 19.) 

It would be doing the young evangelist a piece 
of injustice to not inform him of the two important 
epochs, which to a large or small degree cross 
every evangelist 's path. The most important thing 
on the part of the man of God, however, is to know 
how to treat the first one, and how to weather the 
second. The first one of these great epochs that 
usually comes across the path of the evangelist is, 
his popular period. This is the period in which 
scores of calls come from every direction, for his 
service. He is in great demand, at home and 
abroad. He is met at railroad stations by autos 
and reception committees, etc., He also Ihas a 
crowded house to preach to every night. 

62 



The Popular and Unpopular Period 63 

During this popular period it would be well for 
him to keep the following facts in mind : 

1. Just as sure as night follows day, and winter 
follows summer, and death follows life, an unpop- 
ular period is sure to succeed his popular one. It 
was so with the prophet Elijah, it was so with Jere- 
miah, it was so with John the Baptist, it was so 
with the Lord Jesus Christ and it was so with the 
apostles. 

In order to avoid being too heavily jarred by 
the unpopular period, the evangelist should fore- 
warn himself, by not allowing himself to become 
exalted over the praises and commendations con- 
ferred upon him during his popular period. It 
would be well for him to remember, that the same 
people who praised Paul and Barnabas, and called 
them gods at one time, a few hours later stoned 
Paul and left him for dead. 

Those who are for us to-day, may be against us 
to-morrow. Kempis said, ''Do not make it a mat- 
ter of moment, who may be for you or against you ; 
but let it be your business and care, that God be 
with you in all you do. 

God protects the humble and delivers him; He 
loves the humble and comforts him; He bestows 
great grace upon the humble, and after his humilia- 
tion He raises him to glory.'' 

The writer's advice to young workers is this, 
do not allow yourself to be lifted up over success 
and human praise ; and on the other hand, do not 
allow yourself to be cast down over seeming de- 



64 The Worker's Secret of Unction 



feat and human scorn. Keep a good conscience 
and God will see you through. 

''Are there no foes for me to face? 
Must I not stem the flood? 
Is this vile world a friend to grace 
To help me on to God?'' 



CHAPTER XXV 
The Healing Seevice 

**Is any sick among you? let him call for the 
elders of the church ; and let them pray over him, 
anointing him with oil, in the name of the Lord: 
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the 
Lord shall raise him up ; and if he have committed 
sins, they shall be forgiven him." (Jas. 5 : 14, 15.) 

Since no full gospel revival is complete without 
a healing service, we feel it our duty to give the 
young evangelist a few instructions on how to con- 
duct it. 

1. The first thing necessary in conducting a heal- 
ing service, is to revive and stimulate the people's 
faith on this particular subject. This may be done 
by reading a few strong passages on the subject 
from the word of God, and by relating a few cases 
of divine healing that have come under your per- 
sonal observation. 

2. Remind and deeply impress those present, with 
the thought that the Christ of long ago, is present 
in the meeting. (Matt. 28:20.) 

3. Remind them of the fact, that He is just as 
willing to heal them as He was the people long ago. 
(Heb. 13:8, Matt. 8:7.) 

65 



66 The Worker ^s Secret of Unction 

4. Remind them also of the fact that He never 
refiised to heal a single person, saint nor sinner, 
during his entire stay on earth. 

5. Remind them too, of the fact, that no case is 
too serious; for when upon earth. He healed the 
palsy, cleansed the leper, gave sight to the blind 
and raised the dead. 

6. Remind them also, of the only conditions upon 
which they are to receive it — ^^Thy faith hath made 
thee whole/^ (Mark 5:34.) '^7/ thou canst be- 
lieve, all things are possible to him that believeth/' 
(Mark 9: 23.) 

7. Be sure to remind them of the kind of faith, 
required to get healed, for there are two brands 
of faith in the Bible. The first is that which the 
disciples exercised in the promise of Jesus, by tar- 
rying until they were endued with power from 
on high. This is why there is so much shallow holi- 
ness throughout the land today. They fail to use 
the right brand of faith, that which obeys the com- 
mand — ^^But tarry * * * until ye be en- 
dued with power from on high." (Luke 24:49.) 
This brand of faith is known as the bull-dog, hold- 
ing-on, Jacob-faith. This is the kind required to 
be saved or sanctified. The faith required to get 
healed, is the venturing, risking faith. That which 
believes the work is done without seeing or feeling 
it. It is the same brand that Jesus required of 
the withered-hand man. (Matt. 12:10.) Also of 
the man with the palsy (Mark 2: 11) ; and also of 
the man at the pool. ( Jno. 5:8.) 



The Healing Service 67 

When people meet the conditions, by being 
anointed, they should there and then believe that 
God heals them, whether they feel any better or 
not. This is the secret of getting healed. Jesus 
said, ''According to your faith be it unto you." 
(Matt. 9:29.) 

*' There is a word that saves the soul, 
I will trust, I will trust! 
It makes the sick and suffering whole, 
I will trust, I will trust! 

There is a word that death defies, 
I will trust, I will trust! 
It mounts above the grave and cries 
I wiU trust, I wiU trust!'' 



CHAPTER XXVI 
Holiness in Action 



cc 



Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have 
spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example." 
(Jas. 5:10.) 

The Bible is the chart which clearly points out 
every reef, shoal and maelstrom found in the sea 
of Christian life. 

Satan has three ways of crowding holiness out 
of the world. They are as follows: 

1. By stirring people up to rudely oppose it. 

2. By imitating it — causing people to profess it 
whose lives are not in accordance with its teaching. 

3. By causing its advocates to form a wrong con- 
ception of its various operations. 

In this chapter our effort shall be to call the at- 
tention of the young evangelist to Bible holiness in 
six God-indorsed spheres of action. My reason 
for this is as follows. These days, if a person pro- 
fesses to be sanctified, they are expected to be so 
loving, soft and mealy-mouthed that they never 
openly rebuke sinners or take their stand against 
hypocrites. If a minister professes to be sanctified 

68 



Holiness in Action 69 

wholly, he is expected to hold his peace and let the 
ungodly make havoc of the work of God. "What 
an unscriptural idea! 

Let us briefly notice Bible holiness with its coat 
of modesty laid aside, and its sleeves rolled up 
and at work. 

1. In the sixteenth chapter of Numbers we find 
it contending with fanaticism and mid-fire, and 
thus driving them off of the field. 

2. In the seventh chapter of Joshua from the 
tenth to the twentieth verse, we find holiness, clean- 
ing house. To-day if a minister insists on turning 
a brother or sister out of church, who has gone 
wrong, he is unchristianized, and accused of not 
having the Spirit of Christ. What else can we 
expect but that the holiness movement be filled 
with backsliders and hypocrites, when we deal so 
slackly on these lines? 

3. In Nehemiah 4 : 7-13, we find holiness working 
and warring, i. e., shouting a while, and fighting 
sin and evil doers a while. Holiness is not by any 
means all shouting and hurrah; but it also means 
taking the sword of the Spirit and attacking sin 
in high and low^ places. 

4. We next find holiness in Acts 5 : 1-6, publicly 
tearing the mask off of two daring hypocrites, who 
had testified to a bare-faced lie, right in the meet- 
ing-house. If a holiness evangelist would do a 
similar thing to-day, he would be accused of be- 
ing void of the '^melting,'' and the '^Spirit of 



70 The Worker ^s Secret of Unction 

Christ,' ' Brethren, we do not need that kind of 
melting that lets wickedness flourish in the house 
of God, unreproved. 

5. In Galatians, 2 : 11, behold, we find old time, 
apostolic, Bible holiness withstanding a compromis- 
ing brother. Notice how the record reads — ''But 
when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him 
to the face (not behind his back), because he was 
to blame. ' ' Nowadays when a minister backs up 
on light and goes back to some practice, or thing 
that he once gave up, instead of receiving a re- 
proof from his good holiness brethren, they rather 
commend him for his broadness of mind. And 
what is worse still, many of them follow in his steps 
and do the same thing. 

6. And last of all, and worst of all (from our 
modern point of view), in the second epistle of 
John and the tenth and eleventh verses, we find. 
Old time, Second Messing, New Testament holiness, 
absolutely closing the door of its home against 
propagators of error, and sternly refusing to give 
them a night 's lodging or a ' ' God bless you ! ' ' 

Notice how it reads, ^'If there come any unto 
you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not 
unto your house, neither bid him God speed : For 
he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his 
evil deeds. ' ' If a person professing holiness would 
do a similar thing to-day they would be branded 
by their associated brethren as being one of the 
rankest kind of backsliders. May the dear Lord 



Holiness in Action 71 

open our eyes and enlarge our vision, so that we 
may see what holiness will, and will not do. 

' ' To the gospel plow hold on ! hold on ! 
Let the work done be thorough and deep ; 
From the subsoil within, the foul root of sin 
Must be turned out entire and complete : 
Then love, perfect love, in its fullness will grow, 
And the heavenly graces shine : 
Then the blade will appear, and the corn in the ear 
Full and ripe for the garner divine/' 



CHAPTER XXVII 

The Individual Heart-Talk Meeting 

^ ' Search me, God, and know my heart ; try me, 
and know my thoughts : And see if there be any 
wicked way in me/' (Psl. 139 : 23-24.) 

Since it seems almost impossible to locate and 
help all of God's people through the sermons de- 
livered from the pulpit, we have found it quite 
profitable in our evangelistic work, to have a meet- 
ing in which we could have a heart to heart talk 
with each individual. Of course this meeting is 
especially for the children of God, and is generally 
held some afternoon during the week, when there 
are not many unsaved people present. 

In this meeting, the people are all to keep their 
seats, and the evangelist is to go around to each 
one, and ask them any reasonable question regard- 
ing their Christian experience that he thinks is 
necessary. We have found this to be one of the 
most helpful services that could be held. 

Now for the special benefit of the young evan- 
gelist we will here insert some of the most general 
questions we felt prompted to ask the children of 
God, in the individual heart-talk meeting. Of 
course the questions were to be proportioned ac- 

72 



The Individual Heart-Talk Meeting 73 

cording to the spiritual rank, age and sex of those 
present. They are as follows: 

1. Have you the witness of the spirit that you 
are saved this afternoon? 

2. Since your conversion, have you sought and 
obtained the experience of entire sanctification ? 

3. At the time you went to the altar to seek the 
second blessing, were you clear in your justified 
relations to God, or w^ere you backslidden in heart, 
having lost your first love? 

4. Did you receive an unmistakable witness that 
you were sanctified, or did you go forth professing 
to have the blessing without receiving the witness ? 
Mr. Wesley in his ''Plain Account," said that 

'None therefore ought to believe that the work is 
done until there is added the testimony of the 
Spirit, witnessing to their sanctification as clearly 
as to their justification." 

5. Do you permit people to fault-find, criticize, 
backbite and speak evil of others to you, without 
reproving them ? Remember, it is just as wrong to 
accept an evil report from others as it is to speak 
evil yourself. If there were no evil hearers there 
would soon be no evil speakers. 

6. Are you contrary, contentious and argumenta- 
tive in your home, or are you patient, kind and gen- 
tle? 

7. Do you always take pains to speak kindly 
to everyone? 

8. Do you ever feel jealous of your husband, 
wife or loved one ? If so, that is a sure indication 
that your heart is yet carnal. 



74 The Worker's Secret of Unction 

9. How do you feel when reproved? Do you 
take it mildly, without getting agitated or upset; 
or do you get excited and answer back quickly and 
sharply ? 

10. Have you the victory over every person, 
thing, circumstance, temper and passion that have 
ever attacked you along your Christian journey? 
This is what the word ''victory'' means in the 
Christian 's vocabulary. 

11. Are you careful about keeping your word, 
paying your bills, etc. ? Have the butcher, grocer 
and landlord any confidence in your Christianity? 

12. Do you carefully avoid using slang, and by- 
words ? If so, you do not use any of the following 
expressions: ^^Beat it!'^ ^^I bet you/^ '^that^s some 
hat!'' ^^good-gracioiis-aUvel" ^'that's going some!'' 
^^I wish these kids (children) would keep quiet!" 
etc., etc. 

13. Are you extravagant and wasteful? Or on 
the other hand, are you stingy and selfish? 

14. Do you take time each day to read a portion 
of the word of Grod and pray through? And are 
you careful about obeying the promptings and 
checks of the Spirit? 

15. Are you oppressive and overbearing in your 
home-life, or are you courteous, thoughtful and 
considerate? And are you more easily moved to 
wrath than to pity? 

16. Do you at any time feel secretly proud of 
your talent, ability, ancestry, color or form ? This 



The Individual Heart-Talk Meeting 75 

is the feeling that caused Lucifer to be thrown 
out of heaven and consigned to endless torment. 

*^Not so sternly, haughty spirit; 
Lay thy loftiness aside; 
From thy forehead smooth the furrow, 
From thy heart pluck out the pride. 

Deal gentle words to all; 
Thou, too, may'st err and fall; 
Be pitiful and kind, 
Leave rugged words behind. 
Learn meekly to reprove; 
They win who speak in love.'* 



CHAPTER XXVIII 

** Harmless as Doves" 

' ' Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst 
of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and 
harmless as doves.'' (Matt. 10: 16.) 

The Lord Jesus being perfectly familiar with 
nature, used many out-door illustrations in His ser- 
mons. 

In order to show his evangelists what holy, harm- 
less creatures they were to be, He called their at- 
tention to the doves. 

Now it stands to reason that in order to comply 
with the command set forth in the text — *'Be harm- 
less as doves," it would be necessary for His serv- 
ants to have some knowledge of the nature, dispo- 
sition and conduct of doves. The apostles no doubt 
possessed this information, as doves were, likely, 
quite plentiful in Palestine. But for the benefit 
of the present-day evangelist, we will here men- 
tion a few features of the disposition and conduct 
of doves ; since the writer was reared where they 
were quite numerous. 

76 



^^ Harmless as Doves^' 77 

1. Doves are defenseless creatures, and never of- 
fer any resistance whetever. No matter how mis- 
treated, they never defend themselves nor take their 
part. This seems to be perfectly in harmony with 
the following passages of scripture. ** Whosoever 
shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the 
other also. And if any man will sue thee at law, 
and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. 
And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go 
with him twain." (Matt. 5:39, 41.) 

The servant of God can plainly see by the words 
here given, that he cannot have law suits, neither 
defend his reputation, but must leave all in the 
hands of God. 

2. The next characteristic possessed by doves is, 
they are not meddlesome, contentious or ohtrusivef 
like crows, ravens and black-birds. Oh, how this 
reminds us of Paul's exhortation to the Philip- 
pians, when he said, ''Do all things without mur- 
muring and disputing: That ye may be blameless 
and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in 
the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among 
whom ye shine as lights in the world." (Phil. 
2:14,15.) 

3. It is reported that a dove is so harmless and 
tenderJiearted that it kills no living creature, but 
exists solely upon seed and grain. The writer does 
not infer by this statement, as some do, that it is 
a sin to eat meat or to kill bed-bugs, flies, vermin, 
etc. We believe that to be fanaticism. What we 



78 The Worker's Secret of Unction 

have reference to, is the loving, gentle and saintly 
disposition that the child of God is to possess. 

4. Doves are great lovers of solitude. They shun 
as much publicity as possible and live apparently 
on the borderland of eternity. how this reminds 
us of the meek and lowly man of Galilee, who spent 
hours alone on the mountain communing with His 
Father ! Reader, if you would be His disciple you 
must also be a lover of prayer and solitude. 

To be thus harmless, everything that has a carnal 
tendency must be removed from our spirits, so that 
at all times, no matter how we are misused, our 
souls will remain as clear as a diamond. 

We must not only be in possession of a ^^&ri- 
dled^' but a '^ tamed'' tongue. One that is not only 
restrained from making sharp and cutting remarks, 
but so seasoned by love, that it never feels like 
scolding or saying an unkind word. 

Our spirits must also be so preserved in perfect 
love, that they remain as soft as velvet and even- 
running as a clock. And no matter how things go, 
— whether school keeps or not, we are always the 
same. Thus possessing that ^'love which never 
faileth." (I Cor. 13:8.) 

The question may arise here, how may one ob- 
tain this state of grace ? We aiiswer, seek and ob- 
tain the second blessing; namel}^, the experience 
of entire sanctification and you will have the expe- 
riences of which we write. It will place within 
your heart, the purity of heaven. (Matt. 5:8.) 
A blooming flower garden (Isa. 35:1, 2), an even 



'^Harmless as Doves'^ 79 

flowing river (Jno. 7:38), and an nnsettirg sun. 
(Isa. 60:20.) 

' ' There is sunshine in my soul today, 
More glorious and bright, 
Than glows in any earthly sky, 
For Jesus is my light. ' ' 



CHAPTER XXIX 

How TO Renew Your Strength 

'*And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves 
apart into a desert place, and rest awhile.'' (Mark 
6:31.) 

As the reaper frequently finds it necessary to 
take his scythe to the grindstone and the railroad 
engineer finds it necessary to run his engine into 
the round-house for inspection cleaning, oiling, 
and rekindling a new fire, so must the man of God. 
He should turn aside, at least once a year, into a 
solitary place and devote two or three days to 
prayer, fasting and waiting before God. There is 
something about public life that has a tendency 
to cool one off and make them shallow. Therefore, 
in order for the evangelist to keep red-hot and 
uncompromising, it will be necessary to turn aside 
for the following purposes. 

1. He should turn aside so as to get quiet before 
God and have Him unfold His word and reveal 
the deep things to his soul anew. 

2. During this period of waiting before Him he, 
like the railroad engineer, should carefully inspect 
his life, and see if he has let down or compromised 

80 



Row to Renew Your Strength 81 

on any line. Next, see if he has yielded to the love 
of money or become unduly attached to any woman. 

3. While being turned aside, he should intreat 
the Lord to give him a baptism of sanfictity, and 
thus, more perfectly regulate his tongue. For in 
having to talk so much as he goes here and there, 
he sometimes finds himself speaking when it is not 
necessary, and on subjects not strictly edifying to 
the hearers. 

4. It will be helpful also, during his period of 
waiting, to intreat the Lord to keep the charm of 
the world perfectly broken off from his soul; for 
as he goes from city to city and continent to conti- 
nent, — seeing so many attractive things, there is 
danger of becoming ensnared by some of them. 

Lastly, he should intreat the Lord to re-unction- 
ize and baptize him afresh with the Holy Ghost 
and fire. (Psl. 92 : 30, Acts 4: 24, 31.) 



a 



Thy fullness needs my want. 
Thy wealth my poverty ; 
Thy healing skill my sickness needs, 
Thy joy my misery. 

Thy strength my weakness needs. 
Thy grace my worthlessness ; 
Thy greatness needs a worm like me 
To cherish and to bless." 



CHAPTER XXX 

Beware of Slander! 

** Whoso privily slandereth his neighbor, him will 
I cutoff.'' (Psl. 101:5.) 

We feel that this little volume would be quite 
incomplete without, at least, a short chapter on this 
all-important subject. 

Webster says, ^^ Slander is a false and malicious 
report. ' ' — Slander is an offense against reputation. 
A dog may be ever so sane, but if a man should 
exclaim, ^^Mad dog! Mad dog!'^ it would change 
the opinion of the public and instantly endanger 
the dog's life. 

According to the Bible, slander includes whis- 
pering, backbiting, evil-surmising, tale-bearing, 
babbling, tattling, evil-speaking, defaming, hear- 
ing false witness, judging uncharitably, raising 
false reports, repeating matters. 

Slander is the most common evil among religious 
people to-day for three reasons. 

(A) It is not properly classified. In Paul's let- 
ter to the Romans, he classes backbiting and whds- 
pering with fornication, murder and every other 
evil work. Observe how it reads, ''And even as 

82 



Beware of Slander! 83 

they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, 
Grod gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do 
those things which are not convenient ; Whisperers, 
backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boast- 
ers, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 
without understanding, covenant breakers, without 
natural affection, implacable, unmerciful." (Rom. 
1:28-31.) If people would awake to the fact that 
slander is as great a sin as adultery, it would, to 
a great extent, disappear from our ranks. 

(B) A second reason why slander is so common 
among us, is because those who are found guilty 
of slander, are not held to the same radical form 
of confession and restitution, as those found guilty 
of lying, stealing, and committing adultery. If 
a brother or sister is found guilty of these things, 
they are forbidden to testify, pray, preach or take 
any part in religious services, whatever, until they 
have confessed it to God and man, deeply repented 
and prayed through. The slanderer should be held 
to a similar forna of repentance. 

(C) The next reason why slander is such a com- 
mon malady among religious people, is because 
they have such a meager conception of the value 
of reputation. ^ ' Slander is the greatest of crimes : 
It is worse than murder, it is worse than theft. 
The thief gains something by his theft, the slan- 
derer gains nothing. Is there, or can there be, 
any comparative value between money and reputa- 
tion? Reputation is the foundation-stone of in- 
lauence and usefulness— -it is the door to society. 



84 The Worker's Secret of Unction 

Destroy a man's reputation and he is cut off from 
his fellows, cut off from his family, and God's de- 
signs are defeated. Xenophon said three persons 
were injured by every slander: 1. The slanderer, 
by reflex influence. 2. The person who listens to it. 
3. The person slandered. Could the slanderer but 
realize, that he inflicts an incurable wound and 
sends a fellowbeing halting to the grave, he would, 
doubtless, slander no more. How cruel and in- 
human a person would be to hinder a struggling, 
drowning man from rising and swimming to shore. 
Every slanderer commits a similar offense. 

I shall now mention some of the most common 
ways of slandering a fellow creature. 

1. The first way of committing this serious of- 
fense, is to express to others, our had opinion of 
an absent person, — that is, to express what we have 
thought, suspected or feared concerning them. 
A similar expression has started the wheel of slan- 
der revolving in a thousand minds, and placed a 
discontent on more than a million good men and 
women. be careful what you say, how you say 
it and where you say it, lest by a thoughtless ex- 
pression, you sink a soul, to rise no more ! 

2. To unnecessarily mention the faults of an ab- 
sent person, is a second way of being guilty of 
this gross offense. It may be necessary in some 
instances to mention the faults of an absent per- 
son to rectify a matter or prevent a greater evil, 
says Mr. Wesley, but to do so otherwise, is a rank 
violation of the two following commandments — *'To 



Beware of Slander! 85 

speak evil of no man/' (Tit. 3:2.) *^Let all bit- 
terness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and 
evil speaking, be put away from you.'' (Eph. 
4:31.) 

3. Still another way of becoming a slanderer, 
is when a person unnecessarily creates suspicion 
in the mind of another, regarding the sincerity ^ 
honesty and uprightness of an absent person. The 
man or woman who does this is guilty of destroy- 
ing the reputation and influence of their neighbor, 
and thus becomes a violator of the ninth command, 
— ''Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy 
neighbor." (Exd. 20:16.) 

4. A fourth way of committing this gross of- 
fense, is to tell the most objectionable part of 
anything affecting the reputation of another, and 
omit the less objectionable; whereas, if both sides 
of the matter were clearly explained and set in 
the proper light, the person concerned would not 
be so severely censured. If we should place all 
of the blame upon another, when at the same time 
we were conscious of being somewhat faulty in 
the matter, we would be to that extent slandering 
our neighbor. 

5. A person is also a slanderer who makes a 
practice of carrying news, repeating rumors and 
circulating evil reports, viz. : who has backslidden, 
who is cooling off; what churches have had a law- 
suit, a split, etc., etc. 

6. A final way of becoming guilty of slander, is 
to speak of a person 's faults to others before speak- 



86 The Worker ^s Secret of Unction 

ing to them. How unfair it is to condemn a man 
before having heard his side of the case, and thus 
giving him a chance to clear himself! Even the 
unsaved judges will not condemn a man until they 
hear his side of the case. 

The Bible says — ''Moreover if thy brother shall 
trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault 
between thee >and Mm alone: if he shall hear thee, 
thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not 
hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, 
that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every 
word may be established. And if he shall neglect 
to hear them, tell it unto the church; but if he 
neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee 
as an heathen man and a publican.'' And even 
to a publican, we owe the '^ Golden Rule." 

Reader, will the sorrowful eyes, and the accus- 
ing, tearful, troubled gaze of a slandered fellow- 
being, haunt you on your death-bed, and fill your 
last hours with regret ? 

''Good name, in man and woman, 

Is the immediate jewel of their souls. 

Who steals my purse, steals trash, 'tis something, 
nothing ; 

TwaiS mine; 'tis his, and has been slave to thou- 
sands. 

But he that filches from me my good name 

Robs me of that which not enriches him, 

And makes me poor indeed." 



CHAPTER XXXI 

How TO Get New Sermons 

^'Thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like 
a spring of water, whose waters fail not/^ (Isa. 
58:11.) 

Among the many scarce articles to be found in 
the pulpit world now days, new sermons seem to 
be the rarest. Both saints and sinners have be- 
come threadbare by listening so frequently to 
preachers hashing and re-hashing over the same old 
sermons that they have heard from childhood, with 
but little variation. This ought not to be, for if a 
preacher continues to live in the Spirit he will as 
naturally outgrow his old sermons and early-day 
thoughts, as a healthy child will out-grow its baby- 
clothing. Every sermon that he preaches should 
be as refreshing as water from a spring. It is 
true, he may use the same text but it will be clothed 
with new thought and new inspiration. 

Now for the benefit of the reader, we are taking 
the liberty to here insert the method of a minister 
whom we have known for many years for getting 
new sermons. 

He made it a point to live extremely close to 

87 



88 The Worker ^s Secret of Unction 

God, by carefully walking in all known light, and 
living in an atmosphere of prayer and praise. He 
was no recluse, however, he spent much time alone 
in prayer and meditation. 

He always endeavored to live under the strictest 
discipline of the Holy Spirit, — carefully watching 
his words and thoughts ; also, promptly heeding the 
checks, and promptings of the spirit of God. 

He rose early in the morning to commune with 
God. He also spent the greater part of the fore- 
noon reading and re-reading the deepest religious 
books that he could find. He had no relish what- 
ever for light, trashy, religious literature, but 
sought the cream of thought, both in prose and 
verse. His soul seemed to frequently perch on 
piety 's highest hill and listen to the songs of saints 
and angels, in the glory land. There were times 
when it seemed that he was all but in heaven. 

Wherever he went, night or day, he always kept 
his ear and eye open to God, listening and looking 
for a new sermon. When he read a book he sought 
it there ; when he looked out upon the grasses, foli- 
age and flowers he sought it there ; when he sat on 
the margin of the winding brook, listening to the 
murmuring waters he sought it there ; when on the 
seashore, gazing upon the restless main, he sought 
it there; when strolling through the walks and 
squares of the lonesome city of the dead, he sought 
it there ; and when gazing into the blue vault upon 
the king of day and queen of night, he also sought 
it there. At all times and places, he was on the 



How to Get New Sermons 89 

look-out for new thoughts from God, for song or 
sermon matter. There were times when a million 
suns seemed to be shining upon him. 

He would sometimes carry a pencil and tablet 
with which to jot down the new thoughts that fell 
from heaven on his soul. He would sometimes say, 
there was something in his soul, so akin to heaven 
that he found it difficult to remain on earth. 



< i 



I quit the battlefield of life, 

I give my sword to thee ; 
It is thy father's, father's sword. 

It leads to victory. 

I leave the warfare and the work. 
The watching and the way, 

For thee to finish, when this head 
Rests on its couch of clay. 

Go, then, fill up with useful deeds 
Thy threescore years and ten, 

Till he who bade thee rise and work, 
Bids thee lie down again." 



The End 



iu:: 



Humphrey's Devotional 
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Sermons That Never Die 80 

Daily Guide for the Sanctified 75 

The Lost Soul's First Day in Eternity 60 

The Soul's First Day in Heaven 60 

A Vivid Description of Sin's By-paths for 

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Dew Drops from the Eifted Clouds 40 

Ready Arrows for Gospel Workers 40 

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